Changes
by BlackMoonShine
Summary: Bobby finds a mutant and decides to befriend him. Then their friendship deepens. What will This couple do when one of their lives are in danger? Bobby/Remy, Iceman/Gambit WARNING:SLASH material, self mutilation.
1. Chapter 1

Remy sat out at one of the tables during a free period. No one else was around so he could glower in peace. Why did his brother have to move up here? Why had his dad make him come here? He glanced at the brick school building. He hated this place already. He had never even heard of Bayville while he had lived in New Orleans. And now he was suddenly dropped into a town that didn't even have a space on a map.

"Hey mutie!" He grinded his teeth and flinched as something whizzed passed his ear, something that had obviously been meant to hit him but had flown wide from it's mark. He leapt down from the table and turned to face his assailants. They were some senior jocks that he had seen walking about the school strutting their stuff earlier. He had seen them push a few of the known mutants around in the hall. He had been foolish enough to hope that he could have kept a low profile so as to not draw their attention.

He felt a punch hit him in te stomach just below his ribs and the air was knocked from his lungs. He felt some one's kick connect solidly against his back. Why couldn't he fight back? He never cursed his Uncle more then at times like these. His father and brother had tried reverse the damage done when they had found out what was going on, but they had been to late, the damage was done and the scars were there.

He just stood stalk still and took the abuse they battered on his body, feeling the anger welling up in his stomach but his body refused to cooperate, refused to punch them back. He knew better then to use his powers, and even if he had wanted to, he couldn't have. He couldn't do anything.

Finally they quit, walking away, laughing while they threw taunts and curses back over their shoulders at him. As they disappeared behind the corner of the building he crumpled to the ground. He stayed like that for a couple of minutes, just sitting in the prayer position, calculating his injuries. He stood back up, stiff after being in that one position for too long. He used the wall as support, leaning against it as he made his way back into the school, which was his own personal concentration camp.

Bobby leaned against the doorway of the gym, his body tense as he wanted to run over there and ice those jocks over. They were beating up on one of the new kids. He thought that the new kid might be a mutant but there was never any proof of that, now these guys came and accused him of being one. And he wouldn't even defend himself! How could someone attack someone like that? He watched, not moving as the older boys left and the kid lay there kneeling. He couldn't move, he didn't know why. When the kid got up and staggered away, Bobby got up and followed far behind him, shadowing him in the halls.

Remy walked aimlessly through the halls. He pushed open the bathroom door and listened. There was no one there. He pulled his bag that he wore on his right shoulder that hung down by his left hip up onto the counter. He unclenched his fist and looked for a moment at the crescent moon shapes his nails had left in his palm as a little blood appeared in them. He plunged his hand into his bag blindly looking for something. He didn't know what he was looking for, he didn't know what he wanted. All he knew was he wanted all this anger and frustration away. His hand jerked back as he struck it on something sharp. He picked up the object more carefully and came up with a pair of scissors. Scissors? What the hell?

He looked at them and opened them up. The sides formed into a long, sharp, thin line of metal. He pressed his thumb against the blade and pulled a little. A thin cut appeared and a few drops of blood welled up. He felt one of the knots of anger in his chest unravel. He felt so much better. He backed into a stall and locked the door. He pushed up the sleeve of his sweatshirt and dragged it across his upper wrist where there were no veins protruding before he dragged it along the inside of his arm sharply. He felt another knot disappear as the blood dripped in a small line down his arm.

Bobby continued waiting in the hall until Remy immerged from the bathroom. His forehead furrowed. No one takes that long in the bathroom! We walked in and looked around carefully. There was no evidence of him having been doing anything, no graffiti scrawled over the walls or anything. Bobby shrugged his shoulders. Maybe he had just been thinking.

* * *

Hmmm...I wonder will a Remy/Bobby slash be coming up? Well it really depends on what they want! I have no control! Hope you liked this little tidbit. Don't worry, there will be more if this story is well recieved. 


	2. Chapter 2

Remy and his family aren't thieves. Bobby is the same age as the older students (i.e. Rogue, Jean, Scott.) The whole magneto and the acolytes never happened. Basically they've never met Remy, colossus or pyro before. Yeah...one of those.

* * *

"Hey! Wait up!" Bobby smacked the side of Jean's Jeep as she had started to pull out of the parking lot. He had had to run to catch up with them. He didn't want to end up walking back to the mansion. The brake lights flashed. He threw his bag onto the floor and hoisted himself over Rogue and Kitty to land in the empty seat.

"Ya know, it probably would have been easier if ya had just walked over to the other side right?" Rogue asked irritated. "Ya could have saved knockin' me in the face."

Jean pulled out of the parking lot and began following Scott's car back to the mansion.

"I did not hit you in the face!" Bobby replied indignantly.

"Elbowed me. Whatever. Same thing." "Is not. Completely different."

"Both of you be quiet." Jean cut in. She could smell a never ending game of "did not, did too" from a mile away. She was not paid to babysit, so babysit she would not.

"So, did you guys see that new guy?" Kitty asked. Over the summer she had dropped the valley girl accent. She had not, however, dropped the style or attitude, the pep or cheer she had always had. Rogue was pleased that she could finally talk to the girl without "like" always being thrown inappropriately into sentences. Now all the was hoping for was that Kitty would also give up on the never-ending parade of pink.

"Yeah. He looked like a fruit loop. Who wears sunglasses inside?"

"Scott." All three of her car-mates answered.

"Besides Scott. He has a reason."

"Maybe this guy does too."

"Doubt it."

"Whatever."

Kitty interrupted them. "Do you guys have any classes with him? I wish I did. How come I never get any of the cute guys in my chemistry class?" She pouted over the clear injustice of the universe.

"I have homeroom and Physics with him," was Bobby's answer. Though he was considered the clown of the school, he actually excelled at math and science.

"I have French and English with him." Rogue put in.

"Are you serious? That is so not fair!" Kitty leaned her head back. "Why God do you punish me so?" They all laughed at her.

Bobby dragged himself tiredly through the halls and to his locker. He picked up his books and slammed his locker before sliding into homeroom and placing his head on his desk. Last night had been a marathon of Monty Python's Flying Circus with Roberto, Rhaine, Kitty, Rogue, and even Scott and Jean had stayed up for a bit. But his wild night was taking it's toll.

He fell asleep until until his name was called. He lifted his hand and gave a peace sign, signaling he had heard and he was indeed there. He heard someone gently laugh next to him. He peaked at them through his arms. It was that new kid who was sitting in the desk next to him.

"Remy Lebeau." The teacher called after he had read several other names.

"Here." the new kid answered. He had sunglasses on again and a black hooded sweatshirt even though it was in the 80's. He leaned back in his seat.

He looked cool, in an artistic, not-generic-American way. He had high cheek bones and a long nose that fit him well. He looked vaguely Jewish. He had long auburn hair that he let flow free and it went part his shoulders.

"Did you do the physics homework?" Bobby asked him, somewhat shyly, keeping his eyes on his desk._ Physics homework? What the hell is wrong with me?_ Bobby felt like repeatedly and slowly hitting his head against a tree. Now the new kid, Remy, he corrected himself, though he was a total geek, a goody two shoes.

Remy turned to rummage in his bag. "Yeah. Somewhere I think." Bobby felt himself drawn to Remy's southern accent. The only person he had ever heard with a southern accent was Rogue, but Remy's accent was more of a drawl then anything. It was something he could listen to all day.

He noticed a faint bruise on Remy's jawline and he felt angry, knowing that he had gotten it yesterday.

"Here." Remy handed him the paper. It was crumpled and looked like it had been done that morning and then shoved into his pack. "Sorry it's a mess."

Bobby waved the comment off. "I didn't even _do_ mine. A mess is the least of my worries."

They grinned at each other, friendly, if somewhat shyly.

The bell rang before Bobby had finished copying the homework. "Can I finish it in English and give it back during lunch?" Remy shrugged. "Sure. Doesn't make much difference to me."

Bobby worked up his nerve as the bell rang and they headed out the door.

"Umm...Do you want to sit with me and my friends...at lunch..." He cleared his throat.

Remy raised his eyebrows over his sunglasses. He seemed unsure. "Ok..."

As they walked their different directions down the hall Remy cast a last glance over his shoulder.

* * *

I'm sorry for those of you who waited. The next chapter will pick up, I just wanted to get something up. Next chapter will start to pick up more. Please review, it will help me get the next chapter up faster. Next few days should see it. 


	3. Chapter 3

_Stupid, stupid, stupid!_ Why had he agreed to sit with them? He didn't know them. He knew they were mutants, sure. The entire school knew. If he sat with them the entire school would know that he too was a mutant, rather then just a few who suspected. But he didn't really want to sit alone again. Public schools sucked, that was what he had concluded. Basically you go and get whatever your going to have for lunch and you get to stand in the doorway and have every eye inspect you, looking for friends and enemies. Remy wasn't exactly shy...well, screw that, yes, he was terribly shy. He couldn't figure out why either, he wasn't bad looking, his personality didn't suck. Or maybe it didn't suck to him because he was used to it. Well, whatever the reason he couldn't quite pinpoint what exactly was wrong with him, but he knew enough to know that it was something.

Bobby found him leaning against the wall outside the cafeteria, out of view of the door.

"Aw, shit! I didn't tell you where we sit did I?" Bobby grabbed his arm and pulled him through the cafeteria, towards the right, towards the windows. It also meant they had to pass by every other table. A few people yelled obscenities, some glared, and some had better things to do with their time then watch them. Remy was trying to come up with something. _I'm sick. I have to go home, I left the oven on._

"Hey, squash over!" Bobby yelled at the people at his table. The redhead smirked at them, and there seemed to be some kind of communication with the goth. There was a flurry of activity as people rearranged themselves. The girl in the pink moved over to the other side, and the goth, Rogue, he thought her name was, slid down the bench. Bobby sat next to her and Remy sat next to Bobby, and wound himself smack dab across from the girl in pink that seemed to be inspecting him with shiny eyes. Shit. _Well isn't this just perfect_. That girl had a crush on him. Well, she'd just have to get over that._ I don't date. Period._

"Hey, y'r in mah honors English right?" Rogue asked him, leaning around Bobby so she could see him. Obviously she already knew the answer.

"Yeah..."

"Do y' have the vocab words we were supposed to use in that story or whatever it was?"

Remy sighed and rolled his eyes. Bobby laughed. He rummaged through his bag and managed to prick himself with the scissors. _Shit, shit_. He finally found the paper with the vocab words still in his notebook. "Here." He tossed it to he and she flipped it open, quickly copying them down.

He stuck his bleeding index finger in his mouth. This was not going well.

"So...like, where do you come from?" The pink girl asked him, trying to get his attention.

"New Orleans."

"Really?" She gushed, "That's so cool. And you don't have an accent."

"Nah, I usually save the accent for when I'm yelling."

Kitty spent the rest of the lunch period grilling him about useless things, like what kind of movies he liked and what kind of music he listened to. Jean glared at he and would nudge her every so often, but she seemed to be on a roll. Remy soon became uncomfortable by the Spanish Inquisition. Bobby gave him back his homework, and Rogue gave him back his notebooks but these were the only pauses in Kitty, (the pink girl's name, so he had learned), ramblings. He was glad when lunch was dismissed, and she had to go to another class. His next class was English with Rogue, but she didn't seem that bad. At least she didn't see the point in useless talking. Rogue found him in the hall.

"Come on," as she tugged him through the corridor, "Kitty's tryin' to find yah." He groaned.

"What did I do to deserve this?"

Rogue looked at him like he was an idiot. "Y'r hot. Ahm surprised she's the only girl doing this." Not it was his turn to look at her like she was an idiot. He looked like he didn't believe her.

She rolled her eyes, "Come on, you'll learn." He allowed himself to be lead by Rogue.

"What's for supper?" Henry asked as he walked into the apartment.

"Cold Pizza. It's on the counter." Remy replied as his eyes were glued on the TV.

Henry groaned as he saw what his younger brother was watching. "Not that hippie crap again. You don't really buy into that do you?"

"Why not? There has to be some hope for something better. And someone has to do it." Henry shook his head. He loved his brother dearly, but he was too idealistic. Henry sat down and suffered through an hours worth of hippie protests. He knew one of these days his brother was going to get messed up into something like this, he could only try to hold it off as long as he could.

"Isn't he just so cute? And he's so shy, it's so cute." Bobby, Jean, Rogue, and now Scott, were forced to listen to Kitty gush as she followed them around the kitchen, trying to get someone to discuss her newfound crush with. Bobby glowered. And it wasn't missed by the resident telepath.

"Don't worry, she'll lay off him in a few days." She gave him a lusty, and Bobby was confused.

And he was confused with himself. Why did it feel like he was getting almost...jealous.

* * *

So yes, I've update...just for those of you who nagged : ) You know who you are. Thank you, I didn't realize anyone really cared if I updated this. Oh yeah...wait for the love...and try and guess what's going to happen... ; ) 


	4. Chapter 4

In homeroom the next morning, after attendance was called was when everything went down. Remy and Bobby were furiously copying down homework, Bobby coping physics and Remy was copying the U.S. History homework, because homeroom doubled as history.

"Hey Freak!" Was called loudly and rudely out. Every head snapped up. Remy immediately noticed that the other kid, a member of their class named Lewis was staring directly at him. His eyes were crazy. Remy had been around enough people who smoked pot to know this kid was high as a kite. Everyone else was looking between them. The teacher rushed to the classroom phone and called down the assistant principal.

Lewis picked up a lead paperweight off of the teacher's desk. It was clear glass with colored flecks of confetti inside. He hurled it like a cannonball. Remy caught it in his palm to everyone else's shock and Lewis's chagrin. He looked at the object in his hand with vague interest. Lewis looked like he was about to charge. Remy, quick as a flash, (or even Quicksilver Bobby thought to himself), hurled the globe and hit Lewis in the throat. Throwing something was a lot different than hitting someone. Sure, he could throw something, but if it had come to blows, he probably wouldn't have done anything.

Lewis was doubled over trying to breath, his hands gripping his throat. Remy grabbed his bag and without looking at Bobby walked over to where the assistant principals had just appeared, of course to late to be of any help.

Bobby stared after him, to surprised to do anything. For Pete's sakes, he was a super hero, it shouldn't have surprised him. He couldn't help being angry at himself for not doing anything to help.

Remy wasn't surprised when he got suspended for the rest of the week (considering it was only Wednesday). He thought of it like a vacation. Or so he told Henry when he came home. In truth, he was angry. Especially how they didn't even drug test Lewis even though the teacher had reported that he looked high. Nor did they listen to the teacher when she told them that Lewis had started the confrontation. For her being one of their teachers they sure didn't listen to her. Lewis had one day on In-House suspension. He had heard mumbles of "damn mutant" as he had left.

Once Henry had gotten home and retreated into his room, Remy went into his. He locked the door and rummaged through his bad, grappling for the scissors.

He pushed up his sleeve. The cut he had created on Monday had scabbed over. He dug at the scab. He felt a little better as it started to sluggishly bleed again, but it didn't do nearly enough. He picked a place just below the previous cut and dragged _hard_. His hand involuntarily flexed into a fist and he bit his lip, tasting even more blood. He closed the scissors and threw them against the wall. He rested his head on his knees and tried to breath slowly. He didn't understand why he was getting this mad. He gripped the fabric of his jeans and tried to turn it to liquid beneath his nails.

"Remy!" Henry knocked on the door.

"Yeah?" Remy pushed his sleeves back down and opened the door. He was just hoping that Henry didn't pick up that anything was wrong. Henry had too much on his plate these days, he couldn't add more. But he didn't think he had to worry anyway, Henry was pretty oblivious.

"You have a call." He shoved the phone at him before closing the door.

"Hello?" He asked gruffly into the phone.

"Remy?" It was Bobby. He hung up without answering and threw the phone onto his bed. Bobby was the reason that kid had noticed him. This was his fault. He felt kind of bad about hanging up on him but he pushed it aside.

* * *

Kinda short, I'm sorry :( 


	5. Chapter 5

So, this is a long awaited update (I think!). Hopefully this streak will keep up!

* * *

The hurt she can't handle overflows to a knife,

She writes on her arm, wants to give up her life,

Each day she goes on is a day that she is brave,

Fighting the lie that giving up is the way,

Each moment of courage her own life she saves.

Hero- Superchick

* * *

Bobby was worried when Monday rolled around and he didn't see Remy in home room. He had called Remy at least once a day, trying to apologize, trying anything he could think of to make it better, but Remy either hung up on him or wouldn't answer. Now he wasn't in school. Bobby didn't know what to make of this. He walked through the halls as though lost. He didn't know why he was this worried about a kid he barely knew. He just has this gut feeling that something was off, not in a _this kids going to come to school and shoot somebody _kind of way, but something that would flit across Remy's face sometimes, something he couldn't put his finger on.

The day went by so slowly that Bobby thought it would never end. At lunch Jean and Rogue tried to distract him, but it didn't work, especially with Kitty asking after the Cajun. Scott sat with them and tried to talk with him about his plans for Thanksgiving break, which would be coming up in just a month. He got no answers and finally declared defeat. Bobby just would not be distracted. He looked to the door so often that he was giving everyone twitches.

When he got back to the mansion, he called Remy. There was no answer. He spent the rest of the night pacing, and generally drove everyone crazy.

* * *

"It's kind of cute," Jean said to Scott. "You know, if he wasn't making people want to kill him."

"Jean," Scott groaned. "Why do you have to put yourself in the middle of this?"

She looked at him as though he were slow. "Scott," she said slowly, deliberately. "There are just some people that are meant to be together. But if you don't help them...well, it will never happen. It will be good for both of them. I sense their attraction. Bobby doesn't know what it is he's feeling, and Remy...well, he's just terrified, but I can't figure out why. He has shields, but no metal powers. I can only assume he knew someone who did. But it's keeping me out." She turned and wrapped her arms around Scott. He rested his chin on the top of her head, where she fit perfectly against him. Meant to be. That was themselves. He wouldn't want to deny anyone else from it.

"So, you're gonna have ants in your pants until you get them together?" She swatted him, but he just laughed.

"No. I'm just not going to let you rest a second before I do." In that case, he would do anything in his power to get those two together.

Jean shot upright and almost fell off the small space of the rec room couch. "Rogue! Come here!" Jean bolted and grabbed a hold of Rogue who had been making her way down the stairs.

"We've got to start planning!" Rogue grinned devilishly.

Scott pouted on the couch that any night of fun he had been planning on having just went down the drain. He got up to help the girls with their planning.

* * *

Tuesday morning dawned swelteringly hot.

"It's too hot! It's fall! It should almost be snowing!" Bobby wailed through the halls. His friends chuckled before leaving him. They felt much fulfilled after their planning the night before. Only Kitty didn't know.

He walked into homeroom and you could have knocked him over with a feather when he saw Remy. He dropped his bag by his own desk and walked over to where he slid into the desk beside Remy. He noticed that Remy was wearing a long sleeve shirt, when he himself was sweating.

"I was worried about you!" Bobby told him in a whisper. "I kept calling to apologize, but no one picked up." _Or you hung up on me,_ he thought to himself. Remy said nothing, didn't even acknowledge him. The only thing that let Bobby know that Remy knew he was there was the twitch in his jaw. _Remy, why won't you walk to me? What did I do wrong? Is it because I didn't defend you in front of Lewis? But it all happened so fast!_

"Remy." He tried again. Kids were pouring in now. Many glares were mowed in their direction. Lewis smoldered.

"Bobby." The teacher called to him. He looked up, startled. "Would you find your seat please?" He left Remy reluctantly and sat in his seat, only because their teacher was such a nice lady and fair to everyone, she didn't hate them like a lot of the other teachers did. She remembered that she was a professional.

He spend the rest of class trying to drill his gaze through, Remy, trying to get him to look at him. Remy never turned around. When the bell rang, he was the first out of his seat and didn't cast a glance towards Bobby. He didn't even have a chance of catching up to Remy.

* * *

But he finally caught him at lunch. He was at one of the tables outside, where he had been the first day Bobby saw him.

"Remy!" Bobby called as he jogged to where he sat. Remy was up faster than a bolt and heading towards the door, even though he knew Bobby would just run after him, and he would have to explain himself. He couldn't help it. He didn't want to have this discussion, he just wanted Bobby to get the hint and leave him alone.

Bobby caught his wrist and was caught off guard when Remy sucked his a painful breath of air, almost a gasp. Bobby got his strange gut feeling again. He dropped Remy's wrist like it was on fire. He didn't think that he had grabbed him hard, but many in his fear that Remy would leave before he could talk to him, he just grabbed him for dear life. Remy's face smoothed out in less than a second from the mask of pain it had been, though Bobby noticed the wetness that was gathering in the corners of his eyes.

"Remy..." He said his name slowly. Remy looked at him like he had never seen Bobby before. Why wouldn't he get the hint? _Get lost, before I draw you in with my problems_. Everyone seemed to be drawn to people they wanted to fix. He didn't want to be anyone's project!

Bobby thought he knew what was going on, but he kept pushing it away. That couldn't be the case.

"Remy, why don't you want to talk to me?" Remy's eyes opened astonished. He laughed, not with mirth, but a laugh that said, _if I don't laugh, I'm going to deck you._

"Bobby." Remy said with as much coldness as he could muster into his voice. "Stay away from me."

"But why?" He wouldn't allow himself to be pushed away like that.

_Because Bobby, in my spare time I cut myself to the point that I'd dizzy with blood loss because I can't deal. Bringing you into this wouldn't be fair to you._

"Because it wouldn't be fair to you." He said at last, his voice soft with defeat. He didn't know how this conversation would go, but Bobby obviously was not about to be put off.

"What wouldn't be fair?" Bobby took a step closer, and rested his hand on Remy's shoulder. He noticed the flinch at the contact. Remy was a good several inches taller than him, he could fit under his chin. _I'd like to do that_, he thought to himself but shook it away as quickly as it had come. He was trying to figure this out right now! _Because being a mutant isn't hard enough, I can't be gay!_ He fought down his panic at that word.

"I have a lot of issues." Remy said at last, deciding that was the best way to say a lot but not have to go into details.

Bobby smiled. "Is that it? Everybody has issue! I have a few myself!" Remy didn't smile back at him. Bobby got the feeling he wasn't understanding him right.

"Remy," he said seriously. "Let me be your friend. Any issues you have...they don't matter to me."

Remy couldn't help but want to take the offer, but he knew that they wouldn't stay friends for long. He knew Bobby's feelings, even if he himself didn't. He shook his head.

"Why the _hell_ not?" Bobby was frustrated now. Remy's eyes went empty when Bobby yelled at him. Bobby knew that he had just lost him when Remy turned away.

"Remy!" He felt like he was saying his name a lot today. He grabbed a hold of his wrist, hard this time, afraid he would never have this chance to talk to him again. He was caught unprepared when Remy's knees buckled and he hit the ground hard, pulling his arm in against his stomach. He sucked air in between his teeth in a his of pain. Bobby had heard that noise when one of his teammates was injured.

He knelt next to him, resting his flat palm against his back. He noticed the tears in Remy's eyes. Remy struggled to breath. It was all falling apart! Bobby would find out, then his brother, then everyone. The situation had flown out of his control when he let Bobby talk to him.

He staggered to his feet. He turned and started walking away. Bobby caught his sleeve roughly, and shoved it up. Was Remy being abused? He didn't know how to comprehend the crisscross of new and healing cuts. They looked deep. Remy's eyes closed in shame. It was all over now.

He whispered, "Remy..." He touched the cuts with a gentleness that Remy didn't know he had, running his fingers across the rough patchwork. It looked like Remy had run his way through a thorn bush! He pushed the sleeve up further and there were still more gashes. He wondered how long this had been going on. There were healed scars, old by their appearance. Remy jerked his arm away and pulled the sleeve down, squeezing his wrist in the process, trying to push away the feeling that his lungs were filling with water. Bobby could only imagine what it felt like to hurt so much that you would need to write on your flesh your pain.

Remy sucked in shallow breaths, not exhaling. His eyes were opened wide trying not to cry in front of this boy he barely knew, but tears spilled over anyway. He had to get away! Bobby let him flee. Bobby just stood there trying to understand why it felt like he couldn't breath, why his heart felt like it was being stabbed over and over again because of the now obvious pain that Remy was in.

Remy couldn't bare to see the disgust that would surely be in Bobby's eyes. He walked home. He couldn't be coming to school tomorrow. Why knew if he'd ever go anywhere again? His life had just begun to unravel. Bobby would tell the guidance counselor, the guidance counselor would tell his brother. Bobby would tell his friends. Any hope he had of making any friends, of living here and just been thrown out the window. He didn't want to be here when that happened!


	6. Chapter 6

First Update in over a year...you guys need to yell at me more! Time flys when I'm not paying attention.

* * *

Remy shoved clothes into a backpack. He didn't really care what. Tee-shirt, Tee-shirt, jeans, sweatshirt...He looked around, looking to see what else he might need. He remembered the switchblade in his drawer, and grabbed it, shoving it into his back pocket. He might need it later....for someone who wished him ill or himself, he wasn't quite sure. He couldn't quite think, his panic was too great. It was amazing how the world could continue on spinning when he felt as though everything was crumbling in on him all at one. How could he escape this life he led?

He looked at the clock. It was a little after one and Henry wouldn't be home till closer to six. He'd be long gone by then. He thought of calling Bella, but she'd bust him if she thought she was saving him from himself.

The phone rang. Once. Twice. Jesus, he had to hurry up, he didn't know Bobby very well, but it wouldn't surprise him in the least if he tried to do an "intervention". People just needed to leave him alone. He knew what he was doing, whether they believed that or not.

He hitched his backpack on his shoulders and looked around his room. He hoped this would be the last time he could see his room, see this stuff. He loved his family, but even though he loved them they could never understand. It would just be better, easier for him to start over, away from everyone.

He left through the back door, going through back yards, up the the back roads that led down to the highway. He and Bella had hitchhiked before, but never at this level. He was apprehensive, who knew if he's be picked up by a creep or what, but when he thought of what he'd have to face here...the prospect of hitchhiking and all that might come with it was more appealing.

Car, pass. Car, pass. Car, slow down, pass. Car pass, car pass, car pass. Car stop.

"You needin' a ride?" A gruff looking man, short, looking like he'd as soon kill him as look at him, chomping on a cigar looked him over. Noticed the long sleeve shirt in eighty plus weather. The sunglasses. The weary way he held himself back from approaching the car. Mutant, he thought to himself, but unlike Charles he wasn't going to harass every mutant he saw. People had the right to live their lives.

"Yeah, where you heading too?" Remy asked. Beggars can't be choosers, though he was kinda hoping for a blond in a tight red number.

"Going to the Pennsylvania border, but I can drop you off anywhere between here and there if it's not too far outta the way."

Remy opened the door and threw his bag in the backseat. "I'll go down to the Penn border."

The man raised an eyebrow but said nothing. The kid was running. He knew what it was like to run.

"Name's Logan" He said as he pulled back onto the road, spitting gravel beneath his tires.

"Remy." The boy provided quietly. Logan couldn't think of why the name rang a vague bell but he thought nothing of it. Names weren't his best area of expertise after all.

Logan wasn't a big talker, Remy was glad to discover. He rested his head against the window and allowed the rocking of the car to put him to sleep.

Logan watched as the boy fell asleep. He looked young. He thought about whether or not he was sane driving the kid to the Penn border. He should probably be calling his parents. But no matter what anybody else thought, kids were a lot more grown up than they were usually given credit for. More resilient.

More than an hour passed in silence. Then Logan smelled it. The tang of fear. The boy's body tensed. He was just about to wake the boy up when he jerked and sat up, his glasses slipping. Logan saw the black before the boy shoved them back up. He looked at Logan in seeming confusion, the smell of fear doubling for a moment, obviously having forgotten where he was. Logan was not a stranger to nightmares just kept driving, acting like he didn't notice anything at all strange.

Remy leaned his head back against the window. He appreciated Logan's nonchalance, not freaking out or asking what his nightmare was about. It wasn't even a nightmare. He didn't charge anything and he didn't yell.

Driving, driving, driving. Finally, after Remy had though he fell into a coma from boredom, Logan pulled to the side of the road.

"I'm goin' into the city, I don't know if you want me to bring you in there or if you'd rather-"

"You can just leave me here, I'm heading further south anyway."

"Alright." Logan watched him grab his bad with a bad feeling. Driving away, leaving the figure on the shoulder, didn't make him feel any better. He felt like he was making a mistake. As he was exiting the highway he saw another car stop and pick the boy up. He saw it was a woman and that made him feel at least a little better. Some people would try to take advantage of the kid.

He had to go meet up with Charles's lawyer. The boring task that he had to do once a month. He couldn't help thinking, if Charles hadn't needed him to do this, he would have driven the boy anywhere he wanted to go. Just to make sure he got there safe. He had a bad feeling about the boy, like he wouldn't take care of himself.

Jean poked her head out into the hall. Bobby's distress called to her. "You two get into a fight?"

"Yeah, something like that," Bobby answered distractedly. It was after six. He'd been calling for hours. Finally, after the fourth ring the phone picked up.

"Remy?" Bobby's stomach dropped.

"No, this is Bobby, I was looking for Remy." He could feel the other man's disappointment.

"Oh, well, I guess he went out, but this isn't really like him." Bobby thought that this man didn't know what Remy was really like. Not that he knew any more.

"I don't think he went out. Or if he did he might not be coming back. We had a fight today..." Bobby explained what had happened, everything. Remy needed help, and he wouldn't let him help, maybe he'd let his brother help. Jean listened with growing disbelief and a knot in the pit of her stomach. Maybe now wasn't the best time for her plan. They had more important things to worry about, namely finding Remy and making sure he was healthy, which wasn't really the case at the moment.


	7. Chapter 7

Henry sat on the couch staring at his hands. How could this have happened? How could it all have spun this far out of control in such a short amount of time?

He had already called his father and told him the news. His father, after having yelled at him for not paying close enough attention to the boy they both knew was depressed, called Bella to see if she had heard from him. She had not, but promised she would contact them if he did and wanted them to keep her updated.

Bobby had come over immediately. He wanted to do anything he could to help him. Henry had already been through Remy's room, looking for a note, for any clue as to where he went. He found nothing, but he didn't tell Bobby that. The boy was worried and looked like he needed something to do.

Remy's room had the look of not really having been lived in. He knew they had only just moved here, but while the rest of the place was unpacked, boxes were kicked up against the walls in this room. The look of someone who wasn't planning on staying long. He peeked in some of the boxes, his curiosity being too much. Lots of CDs and books… There were a couple of pictures of Remy with a cute blond girl. He had his arm around her waist but he bit his lip or looked worried in the pictures. There were no pictures of anybody else. Bobby couldn't get a feel for Remy in this room. The only feeling that he got was that Remy was a person who wasn't easily known.

It felt almost as though someone had died. Jean has explained the situation to the Professor who immediately became worried, as he would have done whether this young man was a mutant or not. A soul in pain was not something that he could ignore. They both came over to discuss the situation with Henry.

"Do you know where he might head to?" The Professor asked him at once, as though he hadn't thought of that question on his own.

Henry shook his head. "Not really. He wouldn't go home because there are too many people that know him there…He's always wanted to travel, you know? So he really could be heading anywhere. God! This is so messed up!" He put his head in his hands. "I don't even know if I should call the cops 'cause he's done this before. They got sick of hauling him back to us." He looked out the window for a moment. "Maybe….it would just be better if we let him get away. I feel like an asshole for saying it, but he obviously wants to get away. Last time…. We should have let him instead of dragging him back. I mean, the problem was right there and none of us noticed, just thought it was him being a brat."

"What was the cause for him running away? Could it be the same thing as last time?"

Henry chuckled bitterly. "No, that's kind of impossible." The Professor pushed for more information but Henry had become tightlipped and wouldn't budge. Some shit just needed to stay in the family and it definitely wasn't his place to say anything about….that.

"Is he…a mutant?" Bobby had filled him in on his suspicions. Although he had never seen his eyes without the sunglasses on, the glances he had caught did not leave him believing Remy was anything but a mutant.

Henry looked at him stonily before answering. "Yeah, he is. But it's not something any of us like to be shouting around, okay?"

"I understand. I was not asking to be nosey, but only because I have a machine that can find mutants. I may be able to track him down, though I may not be able to. Some mutants are very difficult to track. Would you like me to do that? Or…" The Professor hesitated. It was not usually in his nature to agree to a decision like this. "Or would you rather we….let him get away."

"Professor! That's horrible-!" Bobby shouted at the mere idea that they would let Remy get away. Jean grabbed his arm as he took a step forward. She didn't fear for the Professor's safety, but she also knew that Bobby was distressed.

The Professor held up his hand to silence him. It was Henry's decision.

Henry stared at the floor. It wasn't an easy choice. But from what Bobby had told them, how Remy was cutting himself…well that just plain had him scared. All he could think of was Remy sitting somewhere, alone, scared, and hurting himself, making himself pay for something that was never his fault. Henry knew enough to know that was exactly what was going on.

Henry stood up. "I want you to see if you can find him. I just don't know what I'm going to do if we get him back. I don't know how to handle this kind of thing and I know he needs help."

The Professor gave him a small smile. "I'll make it my personal mission to help him."

Bobby followed behind them as they headed out the door. He could only hope that Remy would allow them to help him. And that he'd allow him to love him.

But he pushed that though away.


	8. Chapter 8

It was dark, almost two in the morning and no one was on this part of the beach with its tide pools and rocks that some drunk in the dark could easily trip over. He had made it as far as Virginia Beach. Not exactly his dream destination but it would do for his purpose. He would have loved to keep going, maybe to the west coast, maybe out of the country. There was some indescribable freedom that came from no one knowing who he was or the sordid details of his past that no one talked about verbally, but shot off with Morse code with their eyes, some communication that was always going off over his head that they thought he didn't understand. Even Bella did it sometimes and it hurt that she wouldn't talk to him. It hurt him to talk about it, but he would do it for the people he loved, if it would help them. But no one ever asked.

_They'd rather speculate_ he thought bitterly. He was down by the ocean, sitting up to his chest in the cold water that had gone from freezing him to being warm. The moon was big and fat in the sky, hanging close to earth, close enough to touch. She rippled across the tops of the crashing, frothing waves, caressing his pale skin, making him appear vampire pale. She had always been such a good friend to him. He was an insomniac and he would often come outside in the summer at his home, the smell of magnolias heady in the air and the sound of crickets and frogs was deafening. He would watch her and she would watch him and it always seemed like at this early hour of the morning, they were the only ones alive. It was a dance without movement and a love without words. She was the one now that he enjoyed being touched by.

He was glad that he would be doing this with her here with him at least. He didn't want to be alone. As much as he craved the solitude, he couldn't survive in it.

He had felt the repeated light touches on his mind. A telepath had been in his mind often enough that he was especially sensitive to even the lightest probing. It kept coming closer and he didn't know who it was, he didn't know who had set him up to it, but it was someone he knew. He just wanted to escape. They wouldn't let him run, so the only thing left was the final frontier. There are many ways to run away but Remy had always felt that this would be the best. And since it was the best he had saved it for last.

They were close now. He didn't know if he'd be able to pull it off now because they were far to close. He had spent too much time thinking, not enough time acting, as had always been his fatal flaw.

He kept his clothes on. Even though it was uncomfortable, the thought of someone finding him naked was terrifying.

His fingers fumbled slightly with the knife they had been holding loosely as they opened it. He felt another touch to his mind, so much closer than before and the fear pushed him on. He placed the tip of the knife against the pale skin of his right wrist. With a little pressure the tip went in, blood welling up around the wound, and he pulled the blade upwards, careful not to let the pain, and oh boy, was he feeling that, cause him to raise the knife and mess up his work. With shaky fingers he switched hands and gritted his chattering teeth, making quicker work of his left wrist. He let the knife slip from his fingers and he felt it touch his bare foot at it buried itself in the sand.

He was quickly becoming cold. Within a moment he wanted to go to sleep, to finally rest, but he stared, fascinated at the thick black blood that shone like an oil slick in the light on the moon. A vague though entered his mind that he wished he had a camera to capture the image and hold it in his mind forever.

He closed his eyes and allowed himself to sink into the water.

_Hank you better start running, I've lost contact with Remy's mind. I felt dark thoughts when I felt his mind; I fear what may have happened,_ he projected into the furred mutant mind.

Hank was leaping over the rocks as fast as he could, leaving the others behind to try and navigate. The Professor had only gathered a small group consisting of Jean, Scott, and Hank, but Bobby refused to stay behind. He didn't feel that involving the whole team would be helpful the young man.

Hank found himself in the area the Professor had directed him to but he didn't see anyone. But then he found it. Under the overwhelming smell of brine was the sharp tang of blood. He followed the scent, though he wished Wolverine was here since his sense of smell was not as strong. That was when he saw in the water the white glow of pale skin. He wasted no time dragging out the long thin body and finding a flat area to lay him upon. He gave him CPR, hoping he was not too late. The body beneath him bucked, sputtering. He turned the boy on his side as he vomited up sea water. Once he was breathing the others showed up, panting. The boys froze but Jean sprang into action. She took her shirt off and began to tightly wrap his wrists. The boys didn't even pause to realize that they had a beautiful redhead in only her bra in front of them. Once they had him as good as they would get Hank picked the young man up and began making his way quickly to the blackbird where he had supplied to stitch him up. The others would just have to catch up, he couldn't wait. He wasn't even sure if the boy would make it as it was.

Hank had already begun to stitch up his wrist when the other showed up. Scott and Jean went up front and in a few moments the blackbird was already.

"How is he doing?" Bobby asked Hank in a tiny voice, trying to stay out of Hank's way but trying to keep Remy in his sight.

Hank gave a frustrated sigh. "Not good, Bobby. He needs a blood transfusion and though I suspect he only had a few breaths of water there is no way to tell if he has any degree of brain damage. I don't think he will….but if he doesn't get more blood he won't make it long."

"Hurry up, Slim." Bobby muttered to himself. When Hank finished stitching up his right wrist and moved on to the other, Bobby gripped the limp, cold fingers in a death grip, torn between praying and crying. Those eyes remained closed and Bobby wondered if he'd ever get to see what they really looked like.


End file.
